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Fresh

The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

Rotten

The Tomatometer is 59% or lower.

Certified Fresh

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AUDIENCE SCORE

Dodsworth Photos

Movie Info

In this highly acclaimed adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's novel, Walter Huston plays Sam Dodsworth, a good-hearted, middle-aged man who runs an auto manufacturing firm. His wife Fran (Ruth Chatterton) is obsessed with the notion that she's growing old, and she eventually persuades Sam to sell his interest in the company and take her to Europe. He agrees for the sake of their marriage, but before long Fran has begun to think of herself as a cosmopolitan sophisticate and thinks of Sam as dull and unadventurous. Craving excitement, Fran begins spending her time with other men and eventually informs Sam that she's leaving him for a minor member of royalty. While in Italy, Sam runs into Edith Cortright (Mary Astor), an attractive widow whom he first met while sailing to Europe. Edith seems to understand Sam in a way his wife does not, and they fall in love. However, Sam impulsively breaks off their relationship, only to discover in her absence just how deeply he cares for her. Dodsworth was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Walter Huston), and Best Supporting Actress (Maria Ouspenskaya), though only art director Richard Day walked away with an Oscar.

Critic Reviews for Dodsworth

By far the most sensitive, restrained, and effective piece of direction Wyler ever turned in, the film achieves a measure of greatness through the dignity and depth of Huston's superb interpretation of the plainspoken Yankee.

The film version has done more than justice to Mr. Howard's play, converting a necessarily episodic tale, interrupted by fourteen curtains, into a smooth-flowing narrative of sustained interest, well-defined performance and good talk.

Audience Reviews for Dodsworth

Walter Huston is great in his interpretation of Dodsworth and how a good man eventually becomes undone.

John Ballantine

Super Reviewer

Drama fans may enjoy this, but I wasn't into it. It was boring, I didn't care about the characters, and the story didn't interest me either. Other than that, the movie itself isn't bad.

Aj V

Super Reviewer

½

What a great film. A forgotten film that I think everyone should see if they have not. Walter Huston is one of the great forgotten actors, and this performance was way ahead of its time. In 1936 for an actor to give such a real performance with such true emotion is amazing to watch on the screen.